Read Online Views from the Tower by Jessica Grey - Free Book Online

melted butter on a subzero day.
    I kept my gun trained on him with one hand and reached into my back pocket with the other. Flipping open the little black wallet, I flashed him my badge and i.d. He glanced at it. I didn’t appreciate how unimpressed he looked.
    “Your name is Alice?” He raised an eyebrow.
    “Special Agent Harrison,” I corrected as I stuck the badge wallet back into my pocket.
    “Special Agent Alice Harrison. And here you are following a white rabbit. Alice, I’m not going to lie to you: I’m concerned for your career advancement. Irony aside, it’s just not the best general life choice. You never know where you’ll end up.”
    “Technically, I wasn’t following a rabbit. I was following you. And you’re just a Charming in a rabbit suit.”
    “Oh, I’m never ‘just’ anything.” He gave me a lazy grin and a wink. Was this guy flirting with me? While I had a gun pointed at him? I felt my blood pressure notch up in irritation.
    “Yeah, actually, you’re ‘just’ under arrest.”
    He didn’t even look flustered as he leaned against the nearest wall, casually crossing his ankles. “What for?”
    “You are Erick Phillips, current Charming of the “100 Years Sleep” tale?”
    “Yup, that’s me. Though really, Alice, “Charming” is such a politically incorrect term. As if all that matters about me are my good looks and wonderful personality.”
    “Special Agent Harrison,” I reminded him. From where I was standing, and honestly, my gun arm was getting tired so this could have just been the annoyance talking, his personality didn’t look so wonderful. My bias could have also been due to the arrest warrant burning a hole in my pocket. “Erick Phillips you are under arrest for world jumping without a permit, purposeful tale deviation, and failure to pay all fees and tariffs associated with said world jumping.”
    Phillips smirked at me. “How like the Office of Narrative Order to be so concerned with money.”
    “The last charge actually carries the longest minimum sentence.” I shrugged as I unhooked the handcuffs from my belt. “Don’t do the crime if you can’t pay the fine.”
    “Oh, that’s cute. Do they hand out mugs with that clever little saying on them at the O.N.O?”
    “I’m pretty sure they’d prefer you didn’t do the crime in the first place. Turn around and place your hands on your head.”
    “How would they pay your salary then, Alice, if everyone followed all of the rules all of the time?” The dimples almost made his smile look sincere. Almost.
    “Mr. Phillips, please turn around and place your hands on your head,” I repeated. He continued to lean against the alley wall, nonchalantly, as if I was discussing the weather rather than putting him under arrest.
    “You can’t seriously think you’re going to actually be arresting me today?” He raised that same eyebrow at me again. I gritted my teeth. That was the problem with Charmings, they always expected to get their own way. They never followed orders.
    “Mr. Phillips, your arrest isn’t up for discussion. Seeing as I have you at the end of a gun, it would behoove you to comply.”
    “You’re not going to shoot me.”
    “Turn around and put your hands on your head.”
    “Can you just imagine all of the time and expense of having to replace a Charming? In one of the main fifteen too. It’s a pretty important tale. I’m not bragging or anything; it’s not like I asked for the job, but I can’t imagine the O.N.O. wants a dead Charming on their hands. The paperwork alone could take years. What if my L.L. wakes up before my replacement is ready? What happens to my tale then?”
    I felt the beginnings of a stress headache starting behind my eyes. He wasn’t wrong, just the thought of the paperwork made me queasy. I would be on desk duty filling out those forms for the next eight months at least.
    “Don’t you even use your Leading Lady’s name? What kind of a Charming are you?” I’m